Easy Gluten Free Living

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I got an email from Jules of Jules’ Gluten Free this morning.  She is giving away her Baker’s Dozen Recipe eBook for free.

So how do you get your copy?  Just go to here and

1. add the Baker’s Dozen eBook to your shopping cart,
2. At the checkout enter coupon code SPRING
3. Press Apply
4. Check your shopping cart total and complete your transaction
5. An email will be sent to you allowing you to download the ebook

But hurry this offer is only valid for 3 days.

Here’s just some of what is included in her ebook:

Jules’ Baker’s Dozen has 13 easy-to-make recipes, in a handy electronic format that lets you jump directly to the recipe you like, print individual recipes and, gets you started in just minutes!  There’s also a 3-page section on making other ingredient substitutions, for those with other food sensitivities or allergies.

The Jules’ Baker’s Dozen e-Cookbook is 27 pages long and includes the following recipes:

• Banana Bread
• Birthday Cake and Frostings
• Biscuits
• Blueberry Muffins
• Breadsticks or Dinner Rolls
• Brownies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cut-Out Sugar Cookies & Frosting
• Pancakes
• Pizza
• Soft Pretzels
• Sandwich Bread
• Toaster Pastries

If you have any questions please contact Jules directly at: support@JulesGlutenFree.com.

I’m going to grab mine right now.

Hope you enjoy!

So it is time once again for Girl Scout cookies.  One of the things we Celiacs really miss, are Girl Scout cookies,  (or is it just me ).  Today I’m going to share with you a recipe for a Gluten Free Thin Mint cookie that is in my cookbook, Gluten-Free Get-Togethers.

I first made this recipe back in December 2009.  You can see the original blog post here.

I will be making some other Girl Scout cookie recipes (Tagalongs, and Samoas), this weekend and will be posting about them next week.

If you try these cookies let me know what you think of them.

Gluten Free Mock Thin Mints

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder + some extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon Rumsford Baking Powder
6 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg  brought to room temp.
1/2 teaspoon gluten free Vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter & sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer.  While still mixing add in the egg and vanilla.  Set mixer on low speed and slowly add flour mixture,  so as not to have it pouf out at you.  Mix on medium high speed until all ingredients are incorporated.

Dough will be very soft so cover bowl with plastic wrap and refriderate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  With a teaspoon,  scoop up a teaspoon size piece of dough and roll in your hands to form a ball.  Place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.   

Dip the bottom of a glass into the extra cocoa powder and flatten dough balls into 1 1/2? rounds (about 1/4? thick).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch, rotating cookie sheets half way through baking time.

Transfer cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Replace parchment paper on cookie sheets.

                                  Chocolate Coating for Cookies

One – 12 ounce bag semi sweet morsels
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler or a heat proof  bowl,  set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate morsels, peppermint extract, salt, and the sweetened condensed milk .  Heat,  stirring occasionally until smooth.

When cookies are completely cool, hold each cookie with a finger and thumb and frost with chocolate mixture.  I use the tines of a fork instead of a knife, so as not to get too much chocolate on each cookie.  Coat both top and bottom.  Place frosted cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and repeat until all cookies are coated.

Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, at least 1 hour.

Cookies can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an air tight container between layers of parchment paper.

Mary

                                                               Today brings us to Friday, and our fifth Halloween recipe.  This recipe is for your adult Halloween party, although if you have kids that like deviled eggs, these eyes may just disappear before yours.  

 These devilled eggs are gruesome looking but really taste great and they will be the hit of the party.  For the best bloodshot effect serve them within 2 hours of preparation.

Bloodshot Ghoul Eyes

 What You Need:

• 3 Cup of hot water
• 2 Tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
• 6 hard boiled eggs, cracked but not peeled
• 1/3 Cup of Kraft mayonnaise (it’s gluten-free)
• 1/4 Cup of green onions, chopped fine
• 2 Tablespoon cilantro, minced
• 2 teaspoon gluten-free Dijon style mustard
• 12 ripe olives, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ketchup Read the rest of this entry »

I just wanted to bring to your attention, if you haven’t seen this yet or you’re not on Facebook.  The Celiac Awareness Tour is coming to a supermarket near you.

You can find their schedule by clicking on the link at the left.

They say that their mission is to hold a series of national events dedicated to providing information for those who live with Celiac disease or know someone who does and generally raising Celiac awareness.

Be sure to check out their schedule so that you don’t miss out.  Sounds like some good food, good information, and a good time.

If you’re in the Pittsburgh, PA area, the Celiac Awareness Tour will be in Monroeville, PA,Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 9:00 A.M to 3 P.M. at the Doubletree Hotel 101 Mall Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146

The following blog post is from my friend Ken Jones, author of The Complete Guide to Cooking with Quinoa.

“The first thing to say about quinoa is that it is a seed, not a grain. The plant grows to about 2 metres high and the seeds are born on flower clusters. The leaves can be eaten like spinach and in fact quinoa and spinach come from the same plant group. The most common type is the cream coloured quinoa but you can also buy red quinoa. The quinoa I grew last year was the rainbow variety which had a range of brown and dark red quinoa seeds.

Quinoa Nutrition Facts

Quinoa has long been a favourite for vegans because it has all nine essential amino acids supplements. Lysine in particular in crucial for repairing the body and bringing recovery to your body.. It also contains magnesium ,iron, copper, phosphorus and magnesium. What this all means in layman’s parlance is that it has one of the highest concentrations of these elements in the plant world.

Quinoa carbohydrates are slow releasing which means that it satisfies your hunger for longer. For diabetics this is ideal as you can maintain the correct blood sugar levels for longer with high level carbohydrates such as quinoa.

Quinoa is almost a “complete” food and was used by the Incas tribe by mothers while pregnant as well as when nursing infants. (It is thought to help improve the quality of milk mothers produce while feeding). Quinoa has plenty of Calcium, Fat, Iron and phosphorous and a high amount of vitamin B2.

Sprouted quinoa has more fiber because the seed germ has sprouted from the seed. This germ gives a good level of fiber when cooked in the standard way. When it is sprouted the fiber is more because of the large white sprout. You can mix sprouted quinoa with chopped raw vegetables for a healthy salad full of fiber and goodness.”

I hope this helped give you some more information on Quinoa.

Ken offers a lot of information about Quinoa in his cookbook, The Complete Guide to Cooking with Quinoa.  His bonus’ include a quinoa diet plan, that I am going to be starting in a few days.

Jenni askes:

I have not been tested for gluten allergy, but it is suspected. I am trying to avoid gluten to see if it helps me to feel better. I have found this to be very difficult. I never knew there was gluten in so many items (salad dressing, for example). Unless the above person really did his/her research, isn’t it possible that they may come across some gluten (or cross contamination) throughout that two week trial? This could account for there not being any change in symptoms.

I am finding that on the whole, I think I do feel better and have more energy. However, I still have episodes of diarrhea. I am guessing that I still am getting small traces of gluten somewhere. (That salad I had at McDonald’s, for instance). I did have one day in which I had almost normal bowel movements. It was wonderful. I was like, “So this is how the rest of the world feels 24/7? WOW!” But then, diarrhea the next day.

I’m still trying to stay hopeful. Looking for advice as to what I can cook for myself (and family of 4 children + husband) that will not be too shocking for them. I know it is a lifestyle change, and I need to learn how to cook differently. I guess I just am feeling overwhelmed and do not know where to begin.

Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated.   

Jenni,

Let’s answer your questions/comments one at a time.  Read the rest of this entry »